Originally from Hungary, He Graduated from the Bartók Béla Conservatory, Earned the Prestigious

Gyula Csapó

Dr. Gyula Csapóis Professor of Composition and Music Theory at the Department of Music, University of Saskatchewan and Artistic Co-director of the fledgling annual Saskatoon New Music Festival he helped to establish.

Originally from Hungary, he graduated from the Bartók Béla Conservatory, earned the prestigious diploma from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest in Composition and Music Theory (1974-81). In 1981 Csapó received a French Government Scholarship to pursue studies in musical acoustics and computer music. Meanwhile, his music gained exposure all over Europe (Poland, Germany, Italy, the UK and the Netherlands). In 1983 he was awarded the Woodburn Fellowship (1983-87) He taught at SUNY in Buffalo (1984-86) and completed his Ph.D. in Composition (1987-89).
Csapó was twice awarded grants from the Contemporary Performance Arts Foundation in New York City. He was invited to teach Orchestration, Music Theory and Contemporary Music Ensemble at McGillUniversity in Montreal (1990-91). He served as Assistant Professor of Composition at PrincetonUniversity(1191-1994) and joined the Faculty of the University of Saskatchewan in 1994

His music is performed world-wide. His works were premiered in Ottawa, Toronto, Montréal, Frederickton in Canada, Berlin, Münster in Germany as well as in Hungary.

György Kurtág wrote in his appraisal of Csapó's work: "His music... is answering the most timely questions with works of exceptional quality. His musical language ishighly original and is strikingly powerful... His integrity and creative imagination represents one of the most important contributions in the field today."

In June 2004 Csapó was awarded a grant from the Saskatchewan Arts Board, to create a viola concerto for Rivka Golani, Another new work, Embroideries on the Visage of Cracked Earth was commissioned by Trio Lignum, premiered at the Budapest Spring Festival (March 29, 2004). A new commission from the Abbey of Pannonhalma, Hungary resulted in the creation of a large computer-based choral work entitled The Great Initial, premiered at the Arcus Temporum Festival in August 2005. The event prompted Bálint Veres to contribute an article devoted to Csapó’s works in Pannonhalmi Szemle (2005, XIII/3. pp. 111–121). Veres writes: “this‘voicetimesculpture’ gave a remarkable answer – thus probably surpassing all other events of the festival – to just exactly what the idea Arcus Temporum could mean as a vision of artistic

philosophy. On the same token, Csapó’s new work(showcased in the 2007 University Authors Exhibition) ensured that, of all events on the program, there was one that had – regarding reception – a true stake […]. This work reinforced the aspect which makes a festival experimental and inventive, so that it does not deteriorate into a celebration of previously accepted ‘values’ (a danger of all festivals), but becomes a privileged and risky opportunity of rethinking art (and therefore of ourselves).”

In 2006, Csapó received a Canada Council Grant supporting a new commission from the Continuum Ensemble of Toronto. 2007 ushered in a series of important new performances, the first being the Western hemisphere premiere of Tundragobelin at the Focus Festival held at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City (January 29, 2007). Another significant plan is the performance of Krapp’s Last Tape in Amsterdam,

The Netherlands. The reknowned violinist, Movses Pogossian is also going to perform Krapp’s Last Tape in San Diego, California and at the California Institute of the Arts.

To read about Dr. Csapó’s many awards and accomplishments please go to